Requiem For The Lost Shinobi
by Sasukeluva 4eva
Summary: When you have lost everything, what is left for you to live for? NarutoxSasukexItachi Tragic Oneshot; Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Friendship. Occurs after the Pain Invasion Arc; PLEASE R&R! NON-YAOI! RATED FOR VIOLENCE AND PROFANITY!


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_**Title**__; __Requiem for the Lost Shinobi_

_**Rating**__; M_

_**Categories**__; Tragedy: Hurt/Comfort_

_**Characters**__; Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha & Team Hebi, Itachi Uchiha (NaruxSasuxIta fic)_

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_**Summary**__; _

_'They're... all gone... all of them... they're... I'm... I'm all alone in this world... __**again**__... Onegai... __**onegai**__! Someone... save me... from the darkness... I'm being sucked in! Onegai; is there anyone out there who can hear me? __**ONEGAIIII**__!'_

Stumbling alone throughout existence without a purpose, a meaning to why you live... is not something to be taken lightly.

When Naruto loses everything in one foul swoop, his family, his home, **everything**, he is left to his own devices; to roam aimlessly without any reason to further his existence.

Is there really **any** point for him to continue on?

So many promises have been broken, never completely fulfilled, and bonds past and present severed through by a katana that haunts Naruto's dreams.

What will the prospective Hokage do to remain on his feet, keep him alive, in order to accomplish one last 'promise-of-a-lifetime', to both himself, and the kunoichi he had been in love with?

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The bizarre twist to the story will leave you wanting more! (I think... XP)

_a/n: Picks up from manga Shippuden chapter 430: Naruto Returns!, except in this fic, everyone is dead... And Itachi-kun is alive at this point of the story; I __**AM**__ aware that he dies earlier in; I own the whole manga collection of Naruto! _

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**a/n: Yeah, so this is my tragic oneshot. Main character; Naruto Uzumaki. I cried A LOT when I wrote this, and when I say a lot, I literally mean once I got to the extremely sad bits, I couldn't stop! T-T**

**Yes, I am an extremely pathetic person, I know, I've been told! I have a request for you guys when you read this fic; while I was writing it, I had made up a playlist of a few of my favourite Shippuden OST's, and I'd like you guys to listen to them while reading. **

**It carries quite the effect. **

**The first song sobers you up, then leaves you completely vulnerable to the rest, so be prepared.**

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**M**y_ p_**l**a_y_**l**i_s_**t**:

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**Despair**

**Utsusemi**

**Light of a firefly**

**Afterglow**

**Michishirube**

**Nakama**

**Natsuzora ~Opening theme~**

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**NOTE: The first five carry the majorly sad effect, whereas the bottom two are slightly cheerier, and are used more toward the end of the story; I will place an author's note in just before you read it! **

**Also, play it over and over again, and hopefully you'll come to the right songs at the right time. **

**Again, an author's note will be placed in front of the scene appropriate, for your convenience. **

**Enjoy, and arigato gozaimasu! **

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_**Requiem for the Lost Shinobi**_

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**N**a_r_**u**_x_**S**a_s_**u**_x_**I**t_a_ **F**a_n_**f**i_c_

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The dull rumble of the earth splitting in the distance went unnoticed by the blonde Jinchuuriki, whom just stared ahead of him, a glazed look in his sombre cerulean eyes; the misshapen crater that engulfed the land was that of his former home, everything lying in ruins at his feet.

Even as he stood upon one of his faithful summons toads, Gamabunta, the closest thing he had had to social interaction whilst he was away at Mount Myoboku for a month of extensive training, he felt empty, lost, numb.

"Are there any signs of life?"

Fukasaku asked his wife solemnly, already knowing the fate of all the villagers that had been caught in the quake; Shima clasped her hands together and formed the seal of 'rat', scanning the area not because she needed to, but only to appease the beast swirling out of control inside of Naruto.

Both toads were aware that the villagers were no more, lost amongst the rubble of former buildings and cliff faces, and were positive that Naruto knew too; he just needed confirmation, as much as he refused to hear it, to be told in such a callous left-handed way that all the people that were precious to him were standing in another light, away from the horrors that had occurred only minutes before their untimely arrival.

No, he refused to acknowledge it no matter how much of a truth it was, and had become; he could never embrace it in his heart, never.

With a deeply regretful glance directed at Naruto, Shima shook her head, the despair of realising that so many innocent souls had just had their lives stolen from them, without as much as a reason as to why they were being taken from them in the first place causing tears she thought had long since been lost inside of her to well at the rims of her eyes and spill from her glowing yellow orbs; the heartache she felt was all for the blonde hyperactive knucklehead whom just stood there, looking blankly out to space, nothing really settling within his field of vision.

He looked... shell-shocked.

The trauma of losing not only his beloved Ero-sennin, but paired up with that of all the lives of those he cherished most, the ones whom he held closest to his heart?

That was too much for a young man of sixteen to endure, a burden too great to stack upon his already overweighted shoulders, and the force of the impact alone could send him spiralling into a pit of self-loathing and utmost despair; Fukasaku empathised with him dearly, wishing that there was some way to alleviate the pain, the anguish, he was feeling right now, but he knew too well that no words could comfort him, nor did they carry enough meaning for Naruto to care.

All he would feel was rage, rage that could only be channelled through roughing up another opponent, to the point of annihilating them completely, killing them in the most brutal of ways; Naruto lifted his head, which had been glaring holes into the broken, craggy earth beneath them, before shifting his gaze upon the area in which the six bodies of Pain stood, motionless and prepared for whatever attack was to come.

'_They're the ones... responsible... they're the ones... who killed... __**everyone**__... I... I... I'LL NEVER FORGIVE THEM!'_

Naruto's eyes were ablaze with fury as he propelled himself through the air, forgetting all promises to Jiraiya that he would defeat them with his own strength; with a burning rage so powerful he flung himself down upon the first bastard he could get a hold of and smashed them into the ground, grinding their head into the broken earth with so much force that it brought spurts of crimson red blood to the blonde's cheeks, dripping down the peeling flesh of his face before malting off completely with the rapidly shedding skin.

Naruto's eyes bled vermillion, pupils stretching out till they shared the likeness to that of a foxes, before he vanished, the tremors of the lifting earth behind him still ever-present as he smashed his chakra-fuelled fist into the next one's gut, the sound of ribs cracking and giving way echoing in the clearing as he let out a cry of anger, ducking down only to capture his boxing bag by the ankle, hurling him skywards before spinning rapidly, releasing his hold just in time to duck the kick of an enraged rinnegan-wielding copycat, the previous victim of Naruto's anger colliding with the cliff face several miles away, sinking into the earth as the mountain came tumbling over him and the shattered remains of his home, the man's presence disappearing almost instantaneously with the impact.

The blonde fell to his knees as the bubbling flaming chakra of the kyuubi oozed out in major proportions, three tails morphing dangerously quickly to four; by this point, Naruto's eyes were glowing orbs of pure red, no pupil to say that he was even human anymore, as the last of his skin peeled away, a sphere of condensed, scarlet chakra formed around his body as he made the transformation.

Seconds later, the condensed mass exploded, a stream of gruesome, electrifying chakra sent skyward, the once pale blue sky darkened to deep vermillion and black, trees surrounding the clearing ripped from their roots and sent hurtling through the air to another location further away from the battle that had just unfurled; and then there, crouched low to the ground, was the four-tailed kyuubi, initiating offense mode before disappearing from the remaining four Pain's vision, only to be sprung upon by a massive wave of branched chakra, which sent three of them hurtling to their demise, leaving the strongest of the lot remaining.

"_Grrrrrrrrrrrrcckkkkrrrrrr_!"

Four-tails growled viciously, preparing to obliterate the last one standing, whom just stood there, complacent and calm, even as the mini-fox charged toward him; a small smile graced his lips as he dodged the attack, knowing full-well that he was about to meet his maker.

_Again_.

Yahiko had little strength left after the overly large 'Almighty Push' he had just thrust upon the village, and quite frankly, he was tired of existing in a world full of hate and war; you never know, maybe he could find that light, that peace, he had been searching for for so long.

Or maybe it was the peace he found inside himself that led him to allow the miniature kyuubi to attack him full on, white, pit-less orbs burning with seething hate imprinted behind Yahiko's eyes as the attack made contact, killing him on the spot, but not without a smile gracing his blood-stained lips, remaining there in its' rightful spot as his lifeless corpse landed with a _'THUD!'_ to the ground.

From there, everything went black behind Naruto's lids, as he succumbed to the overwhelming darkness that had been waiting for so long to claim him.

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_**(Play 'Despair' here!)**_

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"—I don't know if he will wake up—was such a shock to see him transform back into his original state—shouldn't be possible without Yamato and his jutsu—"

'_Where... where am I...?'_

There was nothing in this place, this forbidden place locked deep inside himself; all there was was a hazy white smoke-screen, hanging thickly in the air, clouding Naruto's vision to the point where he futilely wiped his eyes in an attempt to be rid of the blasted diversion.

Someone was talking, but he couldn't be sure who; everything here was cold, eerily silent, detached, making it harder for Naruto to grasp the familiarity of the hushed, broken whispers that surrounded him, making him want to swat at them to go away and leave him alone.

He had not had the chance to properly mourn the loss of all of his friends, his _family_, and since the place he now resided was peaceful, abandoned, he figured now more than ever was the time to purge himself of all conflicting emotion, and shed the unwanted tears he had long since held in, ushering them to lay low until a better time; that time was now.

'_Sakura...-chan... Kaka...-sensei... everyone... I... I... couldn't live up to my word... to protect you all... gomensai... GOMENSAI!'_

But no matter how much emotional pain Naruto was feeling, he could find no way to let it out; the tears yet to be shed refused to fall, and at a time where he needed them the most, it only made his heart burn with regret and anguish all the more.

The emotions that had stirred within him in such a turbulent frenzy were all foreign to the blonde, and he started to wonder absently if this was what Sasuke had meant by _this_ being the 'worst pain anyone could ever possibly undergo and endure'; the name of his lost friend only served to make his heart ache that much more, but there was a small glimmer of hope. \

Which was squashed the minute he remembered Sakura's smiling face, Kakashi's whacked out, but totally awesome personality, and Sai's... he'd come back to him later; though he still felt his as if his heart was being crushed by an unknown force, as if Kami-sama was truly just toying with his emotions, before delivering the final deathblow.

If that was the case, then he cursed Kami into condemnation in the pits of hell itself; the feelings he had weren't all too clear, but one of those was recognisably anger, rage that his loved one's had been snatched away from him, like the make-up of a glass rose.

It was a beautiful thing to look upon, admire from a distance, but when one came too close, it shattered into millions of miniscule pieces, no hope of it ever being repaired; it only proved the true fragility of the human race, whether or not they be shinobi or otherwise.

It proved that everything could be torn away from one's grasp, and that every blow dealt upon the one left behind would break them, their heart torn to shreds along with anything else notably characteristic of their former persona; whatever light and happiness that had been in Naruto's eyes had died, replaced by a sea of never-ending pain and suffering, most of all despair.

He was lost, with no one to turn to for support, for solace, and it hurt beyond any formable words; the worst part of it was that he couldn't protect them, and because of his failure, they had all lost their lives, protecting the village he should have been there defending.

And because they were dead, he now found himself more alone than he had ever been, more so than when he was a young boy; at least back then there were people to relate, possibly talk to, no matter how spiteful and cruel they had been toward him.

At least then he had someone to notice him, acknowledge his existence; now he was a broken tool, a hollowed out shell that resembled the formerly bubbly, cheery Naruto Uzumaki, someone who now walked the world completely alone, with no one to rely on or even converse with.

He was simply... isolated, deserted.

Abandoned to bury those of the former people he lived amongst, the people most precious to him damned to rot in the ground on which there stood little reminders of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, aside from the Hokage Mountain; a place where ashamedly enough he had had the guts to boast about how _he_ would one day be up there, staring down upon all whom had ever once doubted him and his abilities, to command a respect to which he did not deserve no longer.

Not after what had happened, _never_; that right was long since banished from his thoughts, the dream itself useless, broken, if he had nothing to protect, to love and nurture as did his predecessors' before him, as had the 4th Hokage, the man had idolised from day one.

The man he had let down, and surely now he was looking down upon him, ashamed that someone as weak and pathetic as him had had even the gumption to assume that he could indeed make a fine Hokage, let alone the most powerful Konoha has seen.

_Had_.

Suddenly, the white light around Naruto receded, only to pull him into the obsidian darkness that awaited his arrival, company, consuming him and fuelling his despair to the brink of insanity, to the point where he was screaming for everything to end, to just send him from his mourning and straight on into hell; after all, that's where he thought he belonged.

_'Onegai... just let me die...'_

Naruto mumbled feebly, lying in foetal position on his side, floating in the black pool of onyx, his drool coming down from the crevice of his mouth, slipping down his chin, before plummeting into the darkness, no sound to notify Naruto that it had come into contact with a solid surface, reinforcing the blonde's opinion that he was not dead, just in suspended animation, not even a visible ripple disturbed the shadows.

_'Why...? Why am I...? I just... gomensai...' _

The tears were yet to come, and for once the blonde anxiously awaited their arrival; although it signified that he was indeed in a lot of pain, it would inevitably alleviate the hurt, and hopefully it would subside over time, to remain as a dull throb rather than a piercing torment.

But Naruto knew better than that, he wasn't naive anymore; he knew that the pain would only grow worse over time, steadily increasing until it finally burned its' way through his chest and spilt out for all to see.

It was only a matter of time; until then, Naruto just had to... wait.

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"—to-boy! Pa! Look! He's wakin' up! Naruto-boy! Naruto-boy, can ya hear me?"

Naruto's eyes fluttered open, his sombre azure eyes blurry, unfocused, as he made his way toward the sound of the voice, his gaze fixing on Shima, who looked as if she would either burst into tears or hug him; she simply did both, saving both time and energy.

"Oh thank Kami-sama you're alright! You gave us quite the scare there, you runt! Don't be so cruel to an old woman like me again, alright? Oh, it's so good to have you back!"

Naruto just... stared.

Straight ahead, giving no indication that he had heard what Shima had said, nor to the physical touch; everything felt oddly out of place, cold, like nothing in the world could warm him up, like it would remain the same for the rest of whatever life he had left.

"Naruto-boy! It's good to have ya back! You've been out cold for over a month! We've been so worried 'bout ya—"

"A month...? I've... I've been out cold... for a month...?"

Naruto interjected dully, the slight surprise he felt overshadowed by the resonant throb inside his chest, signalling that at any moment it would cave, and all the emotions locked inside would come spilling out; Fukasaku looked stunned by Naruto's question, and slightly worried about his well-being, seeing as he looked like he were about to walk down suicide lane right at this very instant.

But he answered anyways, hoping to appease the young lad of any troubles. Not that that would help, seeing as he had just lost everything in one foul swoop.

"Unfortunately yes, but ma here to real good care of ya. Ain't that right?"

Shima nodded vehemently in reply, obviously unsure what to say to the grieving ninja; she felt that anything she did say would push him over the edge and inevitably end in his untimely death. 'Suicide' was a more accurate, fitting word though.

"What... what about... the villagers... who... who buried them...? Who cleaned up the rubble...? Pa-sama? Ma-sama?"

Shima and Fukasaku exchanged a worried, solemn glance before fixing Naruto with an even look, trying their best to conceal their sadness; it didn't work.

The blonde saw right through their facade, and felt queasy almost instantaneously, already knowing the reply to his unanswered question.

"N-No... no one... no one even thought to... to bury them... to let them find peace...? H-How can anyone be so... so... ruthless? HOW?"

The emotion in Naruto's voice was tight and constricted, and he had to choke it out of his throat seeing as it was thick with disgusted, mute horror and sorrow; he arched his spine up into the air as he clutched his chest, a sound ache tearing through his system and shutting down all senses aside from touch, in this case 'feel.'

His emotions were tumultuous, pulsating behind his eyes and in his ears, making him see red, the stains of spilt blood, and hear the screams; screams of agony, screams for somebody to help, to save them, the screams of an all too familiar pink-haired kunoichi.

"AAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGHH! MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP! ONEGAI! ARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGHHH!"

Naruto cried out psychotically, his heart pounding in his chest as he convulsed, spasms getting worse with every passing second; all Naruto could see was her bubblegum pink locks, emerald green orbs, her cheery, feminine voice ringing loudly in his ears, increasing his pain and torment, his body arresting even as Ma and Pa were working on him, using every technique they could to save him; they had already lost one surrogate son, and they refused to lose the second.

"Come on, Naruto-boy! Stay with us!"

Shima's voice buzzed dully in Naruto's ears, and as he felt himself pulled toward the blinding white light, where many figures stood to welcome him, awaiting his presence, he was jolted back to reality, the last thing he saw before he sunk into an ephemeral dream was his sensei, Ero-sennin, his beloved Sakura-chan, and someone whom looked to be... the Fourth Hokage?

And a woman clutched daintily at his side threw out an arm toward him, tears in her eyes as Naruto was pulled away from her reach, screaming words inaudible to the blonde; but he suddenly felt a sense of ease, like he was being watched over from above, and that was enough to put him at ease and let him sleep. In his dream, he was visited by none other than Sakura, whom looked slightly troubled with Naruto's state of mind; it was unlike him to be so... depressed, even if everyone was dead. But then realising with profound shock that he was left alone, to his own devices, once again?

That tugged at Sakura's heart strings as she sat down next to Naruto, in the training field, by the three wooden stumps, where everything had begun for them, when Team Kakashi had first been formed; although the place brought back many memories Naruto would rather forget, he also felt calm, relaxed, peaceful as he sat there with the pink haired kunoichi, whom looked at him intently, her green orbs glazing over with a fresh onslaught of tears as she took in Naruto's broken exterior.

"It wasn't your fault, Naruto."

Sakura started, trailing off as the blonde turned fully to look her in the eye; there she saw pools of endless sorrow, despair, anxiety, and she instantly pulled him into a tight embrace, Naruto noting how even though this was a dream (a very cruel one), she still smelt the same; like cherry blossoms and strawberries, a slight minty aftertaste to add to the already luscious scent.

Still, no tears had come, and it began to eat away at Naruto; he was falling apart enough as it was on the inside, and if even the slightest thing were to happen to him within the next couple of seconds, he was likely to kill himself, whether it be in this dream or in reality.

"It _was_, Sakura-chan. I didn't make it... _couldn't_ make it... in time... to defend the village... the villagers... _you_... _Kaka-sensei_... even _Sai_... and the worst part of that is that I'll _never_ get to see you again, _any_ of you; _I'm alone all over again_!"

Naruto choked on a sob as he realised that he had shed a single tear, an improvement on none at all; Naruto wanted proof that he indeed felt something, and if he couldn't even shed a single tear to show that he cared, then he was a monster that didn't deserve what he had been so graciously given.

Sakura looked panicked; she didn't know what to do to comfort him, but knew that she had to try.

It was only a matter of time before he woke up, and then she would be by him no more; this was the last time she would ever see the blonde baka up close, even if it was in dream form, and she wanted to savour every last minute of it.

A spirit was only permitted to visit a living soul once (a/n: meaning that she can only visit Naruto once; if she was to say for example wanting to visit Sasuke in a dream, after seeing Naruto, she could, but then his one chance to see her would be gone after he woke up), and it had to be in a dream, otherwise it wouldn't work; Sakura had figured this was the only chance she'd get and jumped at the opportunity, wanting to see his smiling face once more before she completely moved on, off to the afterlife (though she still has unresolved problems with Sasuke) where her soul could finally rest in peace.

But seeing him so distraught left her feeling unsettled, and sick; as much as she yearned to be alive again, she knew it could not be, and so this was the best she could be offered, and lord was she grateful for it.

Letting out an exasperated, tired sigh, Sakura leaned back from their embrace and cupped his cheek softly with the palm of her right hand, the other following tout suite so that she had his face clasped between her fists, pressing her forehead gingerly to his in the process.

"No, Naruto, it was _not your fault_; we just couldn't stop Pain in time before he used that ultimate jutsu of his, and by that point there was nothing that could have saved us, even if you had been there. Frankly, I'm glad you weren't. You're still alive, and that's what counts the most."

"How is that _fair_, Sakura-chan? You and Kaka-sensei and everyone else _DIED_ while I was away _TRAINING_ for this _exact reason_; to protect everybody from that sick fuck! But I was _too fucking late_, and now it leaves me feeling _more isolated and abandoned than ever_! I'm _hurting_ Sakura-chan, and _nothing_ I seem to do is making that pain go away! I just want it to _stop_, to _end_; why didn't you summon me the minute you felt there was something wrong? Why did Tsunade baa-chan not call me sooner? None of this _shit_ would have happened if I had gotten there earlier, _none of it_! Right now I could be holding you in my arms, in the _flesh_, laughing and smiling and fooling around like always; we could have _still_ been Team 7 if I had _been there_ to _protect you_! So _no_, Sakura-chan, it _IS_ my fault, and there's _nothing_ I can do to erase, to _change_ that mistake; you're _gone_ now, and now I'm _all alone_, wandering the world like a ghost of a former me! Do you h-honestly t-think t-that t-that's f-fair?"

Naruto stuttered, voice thick with emotion as he glared at the pink haired kunoichi, whom was downright startled and hurt by his remark; why was he so upset over her being dead? Everyone else was one thing, but her, the one whom had intentionally been cruel to him as a child, and even as they had been growing up afterwards?

It made Sakura's heart bleed, but there was no anger to blow off her steam; there was just grief, plain and simple, and it burned her to the core as she watched him fall apart before her eyes, a scene she had never thought in her lifetime she would ever witness personally.

Naruto had long since pushed up off of the ground and skulked angrily toward the gravestone across from them, the names of all Konoha's heroes engraved in them.

Staring at it, he once again startled Sakura with his gruff question, prompting a change in her attitude.

"Sakura-chan. Do you remember the day Kaka-sensei told us about the shinobi whose names are engraved here? Well, I was being serious then, when I said I wanted to be a hero just like them, even if they turned out to be the dead kind; I was naive then to think that my name should be carved upon that stone, because the possibility of an early death had never really occurred to me. Until he pointed it out to me; I realised that being a ninja meant risking everything, putting it all on the line, for the sake of those precious to you. My role as aspiring Hokage was to do whatever I could to protect the villagers of the Leaf, but I had still never thought that it was possible for me to die, especially as the Hokage; but then looking back on past reflections, such as the First, Second and Fourth, it dawned on me. They had all died at a young age to defend their home, and never once regretted it, thought twice about their decisions; it was from there, and after Old man Third died, that I came to the conclusion that no matter what I had to do on my part, no matter how hard I had to work to achieve my goal, I would, and I would strive to achieve the same light that the other previous kage had in their time as Hokage. I would live out their ambitions, take them as my own dreams, and would use them to help make a better future, one without hate and war; but that was presumptuous of me to believe, dattebayo."

He snorted without a trace of humour before continuing.

"Ero-sennin always said that 'Whenever there is love, there will always be hope', but now all I keep hearing is what should have been plainly obvious; 'Whenever there is love, there is hate; and whenever there is hate, there is war. (Love breeds hate and hate breeds war)' That should have been something that I took into serious consideration, but I didn't, thinking naively that I could defend the village with these two arms; I was wrong. I would have happily have died if it meant saving the village, even giving up the title of Hokage, it doesn't matter; I would give _anything_ to have all of you alive. My existence isn't as important as all of yours; my name could have been engraved on this stone, and then at least I would be remembered as some sort of hero, a relic that would be passed down throughout history, gracing children's bedtime stories and whatnot. As long as you were all alive and well, it wouldn't matter to me; I just... I just wish I had made it on time... I just!"

Naruto clenched his fists at his sides, the nails biting into his hands hard enough to draw blood, the crimson liquid seeping through his fingers and over his knuckles, landing with a soundless _'PLOP!'_ on the smooth stone of the gravestones pedestal.

"Naruto! Stop that! Your hands!"

Sakura hollered angrily, rushing to his side and pulling the injured appendages into hers, the warm, familiar green glow lulling Naruto into a calm stupor; he felt relieved that this all felt so vivid, so real.

That way it would be easier to come to terms with his loss, accept it, and move forward; releasing his hands gently, Sakura reached up to idly stroke his face, a stray tear slipping from her eye, and as she went to wipe it away, more came, until it was an onslaught of remorseless water sprites stinging their way through her eyes and burning a path down her cheeks, falling from her chin to the earth below them.

"Sakura-chan..."

Naruto exclaimed, shock written all over him as he pulled her closer to him, said girl wrapping her arms around his waist and clenching him tightly, making sure that he was actually there.

Sakura, in truth, didn't want to be dead, leaving Naruto to fend for himself, to hurt and suffer unjustly for reasons and explanations beyond his understanding; she wanted to be there to hold him close and hurt with him, to grieve for their losses, before accepting them and moving on.

Speaking of...

"Naruto, listen to me; this is very important, and I'll only get to say this to you once, okay?"

The blonde nodded curtly, arms still around her waist in a loose hold.

"This is the last time I'll see you," Naruto's eyes bulged at the sudden spurt of information he had failed to notice earlier, but before he could protest, Sakura continued, although with a thickly layered voice carrying much emotion, "And I still have a request for you." Naruto nodded, sudden tears that refused to come earlier suddenly welling as he listened intently.

"Do you remember that day when I asked you for a 'once in a lifetime request?'"

'_Oh Kami-sama, __**NO**__...'_

"Yes Naruto. You made me a promise of a lifetime."

Sakura choked on her tears as she continued rapidly, "And you still haven't fulfilled it; so I ask of you now, as my dying wish (a/n: hahahaha, lol... NOT! T-T) to fulfil that promise. I want you to bring Sasuke-kun back, and I want the two of you to remain together until you're little old men with nothing better to do than sit around and gaze at the stars and the moon together, okay?"

Her voice rose higher and higher until it broke, the reminder of the man she loved still wandering out there, _ALIVE_, whilst she was dead an unbearable thought, but she went on, flinching as she said the next lines.

"I want the two of you to fall in love with the most beautiful women you have ever seen, both inside and out, and have lots of kids; if I find that one of the last remaining members of the Uchiha Clan hasn't conceived an heir or an entire family, I'm gonna come back in the form of a monster and kick the living shit out of him."

Naruto laughed, his tears burning the inside of his mouth, salty and wet as he continued to listen to her demand.

"And... most of all, I want you to be happy; you and Sasuke-kun both. I don't care if you feel as if moving on from this is too much to ask, like you never could, but you _can_ and you _have_ to; not just for me and everyone else's sakes, but for yours and Sasuke-kun's as well. You're resilient Naruto, always have been, always will be; that's what makes you _you_. No matter what gets you down, you always find a way to spring back from the darkness; you are the light that gives meaning to Sasuke-kun's existence too. You are the only person who has ever actually _understood_ him, and that in itself makes you a precious person to him; treasure that bond, and do whatever it takes to make him see reason. Unjustifiable slaughter isn't something that is looked highly upon in heaven, and that's exactly where he'll want to be, seeing as his family is watching his every move, and they do not approve of his path, the road that he has chosen to take; _you_ need to guide him away from the darkness, and plunge both him _and_ yourself back into the light.

From there, everything should get better, trust me. Onegai, Naruto! Do this for me; save Sasuke-kun from both the darkness and himself, and give him another purpose to live. Now that you can fully embrace Sasuke-kun's pain, you can understand and completely accept him, not that you didn't before; he'll only see reason if you both see eye to eye, and this is where it hurts him the most. He's still afraid of losing everything, so I'm not sure how he'll react to the news about the village, but... as long as you are alright, he'll be able to move on."

"Sakura-chan! Sasuke cares about you too! I don't think he'll take the news of your..."

Naruto choked on the word, so he didn't say it, leaving it to Sakura to decode his already obvious message.

"So lightly; it'll hit him deep, dattebayo."

Sakura smiled, wiping away her tears before more fell; it was time.

She could feel herself slowly slipping away from Naruto, the closer he got to awakening from his slumber, not that he realised it yet.

* * *

_**(Play 'Utsusemi' repeatedly here!)**_

_**

* * *

**_

"Naruto... oh, Naruto! I'll miss you so much! It aches right here!"

Sakura raised Naruto's hand to her heart, which was erratic and irregular, even if she was dead (this is a dream after all); Naruto's eyes widened, before he realised with profound clarity what Sakura really meant by her words.

"N-No! I-I'm not ready yet! T-There's still so much I wanna say—"

"I know, Naruto, I KNOW!"

Her voice cracked as the octaves in her voice got higher and higher, the tears blurring Naruto's face from view; then she remembered something.

"Naruto! There's one last thing I'd like for you to do for me before I go."

Naruto nodded sombrely, his chest weighing a million tonnes as she spoke her final request.

"Please smile for me."

The blonde's eyes widened, and if he thought he was crying enough, then he was sadly mistaken; more tears fell from his eyes as he tried to summon the strength, the will, to smile, but he found the task impossible.

There was nothing for him to be happy about, for him to casually grin like there was nothing wrong, like the whole world hadn't already come to an end for him; it had.

"I-I c-can't Sakura-chan! Because it m-means that we're r-really s-saying goodbye! I-I can't do that, n-no way!"

"Naruto... onegai... for me... onegai... I want to have the image permanently burned into my head, so that I'll never forget what a beautiful smile you have; the smile that makes people want to bet on you, want to befriend you. Onegai! For me..."

Naruto looked at the ground, remembering all the times he had made an ass of himself in front of her, and her constant, radiant smiles and bubbly personality; the foolish fights he had gotten into with Sasuke, the way she just sat there and laughed, all of it he remembered, and from that, he mustered the strength to smile one last, Naruto smile, all for the sake of the love of his life, whose heart had never truly been with him, and that he would never get to sit and talk with anymore because she was no longer apart of the same world as him.

She had died, and he hadn't, yet he still didn't have the heart to refuse her this one little request, the last thing she would ever ask him to do for her sake.

The thought brought more tears to his eyes as he looked up, and there it was; not a fake smile, but the genuine article, Naruto's eyes crinkling up like Kakashi's had, the tears seeping through his thick lashes and hurtled toward the ground at their feet.

Sakura felt her tears come to a sudden halt, before streaming down her cheeks in heavy wave after heavy wave; it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and this was the last time that she would be able to see it face to face, the last time he would ever really smile at her.

"Arigatou... arigatou! Naruto... I... I... miss you already and I haven't even left yet!"

Naruto opened his eyes, smile faltering as he saw her start to fade away from his vision.

* * *

_**(Play 'Afterglow' here!)**_

_**

* * *

**_

"Sakura-chan!"

Leaning forward, he pulled her into a tight, loving embrace, the last time he would ever get to hold her, and whispered softly in her ear, "You have to go see teme, okay? When I find him and bring him back with me, you have to visit him in a dream and tell him how you feel, ne? How much you... _love him_. You have to do this _for_ _me_, 'kay? And for yourself, and for teme! Understand?"

Sakura nodded shakily, gripping him tightly as she vanished till she was almost transparent; before she left, Naruto whispered the three words he never got to say to the rosette before she died.

"_I love you, Sakura-chan_."

And with that, she disappeared completely, Naruto falling to his knees as he stared at the fading ground of the Training Field, tears cascading down his tan cheeks, splattering onto the fading earth, until he suddenly found himself in a foreign room, lying in a bed with his head angled toward the beautiful full moon outside.

_'I hope you can see this too, Sakura-chan... Sasuke... I'm coming for you... so wait for me... wait for me...' _

Naruto's eyes closed, the moonlight illuminating the single tear that trailed a silvery path over the bridge of his nose, and onto the cushions beneath his head.

* * *

_**(Play 'Michishirube' repeatedly here!)**_

_**

* * *

**_

Sweat glistened on Naruto's back as he dug yet another grave; so far, he had buried almost everyone, all except for Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan, whom he couldn't bear to bury first, even though the first signs of decay were ever-present on their bodies.

Hundreds upon hundreds of graves lined the area where Konoha used to be, headstones carved and engraved on by Naruto himself, messages of love going out to every single one of his former villagers, more detailed descriptions dedicated to the people closest to him. Iruka-sensei had been one of the toughest to write one for, seeing as there weren't really any words that could describe how much Naruto had loved him and how much he had meant to him over the years he had looked out for him; the message was simple, but carried much depth and meaning.

* * *

_Iruka Umino _

_Beloved sensei much loved by all, admired and treated with respect._

_A man whom was deeply dedicated to the educations of others, and always looked out for his students no matter what._

_But most of all, the much loved father of Naruto Uzumaki, whom will sorely miss and cherish all the memories he made with you. _

_Rest in peace, dad._

_I love you._

_

* * *

_

Naruto found it hard to express how much it hurt to see him leave, knowing that he would never come back, and felt his throat close up as he stared down upon the most recently buried member of the village, the man he thought of as his father, surrogate or not; turning away from the gravestone, he walked over to the two remaining bodies, covered with a plastic cover.

_'Sensei... Sakura-chan... you can finally rest in peace now...'_

Naruto thought with a small, sad smile, before he picked up the body of Kakashi, and carried him to the already dug-out hole he had prepared, a special coffin for him (he had help from Fukasaku, Shima and the other toads in making the coffins for every single villager, which tells you how long Naruto has been working on burying his people with pride, dignity and respect) waiting nearby.

Kneeling down, he looked at his sensei's masked face, curiosity to see what was behind the mask bugging him endlessly; ignoring it, he pulled the silver-haired man's head up into the crook of his neck and held him there in a tight hug, not wanting to let go of him.

He had gotten closer to Kakashi over time, and that made it hurt so much more than he would have ever thought possible; with a final squeeze, he lifted Kakashi up and placed him in the coffin, speaking a few solemn, heartfelt words before he closed the lid.

"You were always there for me, right when I needed you the most; just as you were there for Sakura-chan and Sasuke. Now it's my turn to be there for you, even though it means I have to bury you; I want you to finally rest in peace, and go to a happier place, where you can see your friends and family again, where you can finally stop feeling tormented and be truly happy. That is what I wish for you, even if it means that you have to leave me forever to do it; I want everything that can ever possibly go right for you to happen, 'cause you deserve it way more than you know, or give yourself credit for. You were always a kind, respectable sensei, one that I admired deeply, and thought of as an uncle/father figure of sorts (Iruka and Kakashi are both in on the same boat with Naruto), and as much as it pains me to do it, I'm gonna let you go now.

But remember that you will always be a key figure in my heart, now and always, and that I will always love and miss you; the hurt will never go away, but I'll keep moving forward 'cause that's part of the shinobi code of conduct, and my newest nindo; 'Keep moving forward, 'cause every step you take will lead you to something better.' Rest in peace, Kaka-sensei; missing ya already."

Naruto sealed the coffins lid, before steadily lowering it into the ground, until it met with the bottom of the hole six feet underground; after that he filled the grave with dirt, covering his sensei's coffin and permanently obscuring it from view, never to be seen again.

Once the earth had been patted into place, Naruto then dug a smaller hole on top of the first, cementing in the headstone's plaque with his name engraved carefully, neatly.

The message inscribed to him was small, but carried out everything Naruto had ever wanted to say to him.

* * *

_Kakashi Hatake_

_World's best sensei, a man of courage and honour;_

_May you go to the other world in peace and tranquillity, and know that you are much loved and dearly missed by all those whom love you, past and present._

_You were an inspiration to your students, and your knowledge, wisdom and teachings shall not go unhindered, in vain; they will be used tactfully every day of their lives, and know that no matter how much distances us, you will always be loved and adored._

_Rest in peace, Kaka-sensei;_

_We love you._

_

* * *

_

Naruto couldn't help but smile at the memories this man had created with them, the powerful bond that they shared still intact even though he was no longer around to display it; the blonde didn't mind, because simply the knowledge of knowing that he was once there, once a big part of his development and growth, part of his family, made him feel at peace with himself, made him accept the fact, and know that no matter how much he missed him, Kakashi would always be there to guide him, watch over him from somewhere bigger than him. 

_'You'll always be there for me... watching over me... right... Kaka-sensei?'_

Naruto smiled once again, a meaningful one as he turned to bury the final body of the hundreds before her; the smile wavered as he remembered his dream, the vividness of it.

Sakura was with him, but now she was no longer. An exhausted sigh left his lips as he slowly approached the corpse of the woman he had been so in love with that it hurt him, kneeling down to pick her up (a/n: I do not refer to people as 'it's', even if they are dead; it is disrespectful, seeing as at one point they were a live person themselves) in his aching arms; the excavation in itself had taken a week by hand, even with the help of his toad summons, and then there was the burial of every villager done by hand, alone.

But now it was finally drawing to a close, and all he had to do was bury one last person; one of the hardest next to his sensei and his friends.

Scooping her up into his arms, Naruto carried Sakura's lifeless body to the coffin that awaited her, crouching down before it as he held her the same way he had his sensei, only this time, there was an unknown emotion driving him to the point of tears, many tears.

"S-Sak...ura...-chan... gomen... gomensai!"

Naruto's grip on the body of his lost love tightened as he remembered his dream, when he was still with her, when she made her 'dying wish.'

* * *

_Flashback_

_

* * *

_

"_Onegai! Bring Sasuke-kun back! The two of you need each other, and I want you to stay together, no matter what, through thick and thick; look out for one another like when you used to! Go back to the way things were, Naruto, and you'll find that everything will eventually be okay. It __**will**__ get better. __**I promise**__."_

_

* * *

_

__

End of Flashback

Naruto smiled genuinely the tears rolling down his cheeks as he pressed a firm kiss to Sakura's cheeks and forehead, leaving her lips because they were not his to take; they had been saved for a certain Uchiha rogue whom probably wasn't even aware about the village, and the fates of all of the inhabitants.

Propping her carefully into the coffin, Naruto couldn't resist but touch her one last time, cup her cold cheek in his palm as he spoke his words of farewell.

"Sakura-chan... there aren't many words in this world that can describe you; if I knew what was appropriate for me to say, then I would have said it all a long time ago, but I don't so I can't. What I do know is this; you were a kind, caring, loving woman with all the strength of a bombardment of elephants."

Chuckling to himself, he continued.

"You were always there when a friend needed you the most, and you had no qualms about helping strangers in need, even the enemy you helped to the best of your ability, never playing down your strengths, nor your faults. That was one of the things that I loved the most about you; your undying love for people of all distinction and race, and your warm, affectionate heart; you loved teme till the moment you drew your last breath, and I know you still do, even now, as you hear me speak. Onegai, don't worry; I'll make sure he comes back, no matter what I have to do to ensure that. I will not break this promise of a lifetime to you, not now, not ever; I'll search till the end of the earth and I come face to face, till the day I die need be. It is my new lease on life, and it is all thanks to you that I have found it; now I can truly say that Sasuke-teme will come back, because you believe it, and if you do, then so do I.

Arigatou, Sakura-chan, for everything you have done for me, for everything that you have given me; your friendship, your advice, your company, but most of all, your acceptance. Arigatou, Sakura-chan; I will miss you more than I can ever say, but know that I will always love you equally as much, even more so. Onegai, have no fear, because I will, I swear on it, I _will_ bring Sasuke back to me. Rest assured; now please, rest in peace, and don't forget your promise of a lifetime to me, 'kay? Remember, you have to see Sasuke, alright? When I get him back, the first place I'm bringing him is here, so that he can talk to you, let you know he cares. O-Okay? P-Promise me you'll see him, speak to him! I... I... I love you, now and always, but I think that that love shall remain from now on as simply 'friendly' love; Sasuke-teme has to get his act together, and quick too, otherwise some other guy'll sweep ya off your feet up there, ne?"

With one last small, weak laugh, he leant down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, knowing full well he had no right to, but he knew he'd never get the chance to do it, or try to, now that she was...

A single tear fell from his eye and landed with a soundless _'PLOP!'_ on her closed lashes, sliding from her face as if she herself were weeping; and maybe she was.

"Rest in peace, Sakura-chan; I'll miss you."

And with that, he sealed off her coffin's lid, and lowered it into the ground, the _'THUNK!'_ signalling that it had made it to the bottom; picking up the shovel, he began to throw the soil over it, permanently burying her from his life, the tears never ceasing, even as he filled the hole completely, even as he cemented in the plaque that was to be her headstone.

Hers had been the hardest to write, but it had eventually come to him.

* * *

_Sakura Haruno _

_Much loved friend and apprentice of Godaime Hokage;_

_You will always remain in our hearts, and be remembered as the beautiful, kind person you were, with so much talent and love to give._

_All the promises that have been made to you shall be carried out; your last wish shall always remain with me, and I will act out on it, no matter what. This is my new 'promise-of-a-lifetime' to you, and I hope that it will be fulfilled before I too leave this world._

_Rest in peace, Sakura-chan;_

_Sasuke and I love ya, now and always._

_

* * *

_

Naruto knelt in front of her grave for what seemed to be hours, before he finally heard the rumbling in the sky; lightning split its' way through the darkened clearing, setting it ablaze with silver light as the incessant rumbling of thunder echoed through the valley, and Naruto knew that for some reason, heaven was weeping; Sakura was weeping.

And then it came; the heavy downpour, splattering down his skin, soaking his pants through to the bone, washing the sweat from his naked chest, the grime and filth from his hair, the sleep from his eyes.

It felt... _amazing_.

The cool water running off his skin, making his blood boil and his whole nervous system come alive, the way it made him feel relaxed, like there really was a point to him still being alive after all; all of heaven was shedding tears just for him, his village, his family, were crying for his sake, and it made him feel slightly unburdened, knowing that they too cared for his well-being, even after they had passed on.

It made him feel refreshed, preparing him for the long journey ahead, away from them, though never completely were they gone; they would always remain with him, even as he accepted his fate and moved on.

Moved on to carry out Sakura's last request; bring Sasuke back home, where he belonged.

Not that they would stay within the village's ruins itself now; it was now a transformed graveyard, where the bodies of all their loved ones' were buried, the land and soil of their birth.

The land and soil which would soon become fertile, where Naruto could plant luscious plants, just to make it seem more cared for, loved then any average haunted graveyard; as soon as he had done this, he would leave, set out for his quest.

And that he did.

* * *

Several months later, flowers and trees of all description bloomed to life throughout the graves, lush green grass coating the now claimable forest floor, making it seem more beautiful than it had ever in quite some time.

Placing the last of the flowers he had gathered on Kakashi's grave, Naruto turned to look at Sakura's, which was yet to have any of the beautiful lotuses upon it; Naruto had more of a traditional touch for Sakura. Walking over to a particular tree, one that blossomed ferociously during springtime, Naruto reached up, using a kunai to cut off part of a branch, before moving back to Sakura's resting place, the only grave to not have flowers on it, and placed the flowers on her plaque, next to her headband; the scent of the cherry blossom buds was overpowering, even now that they weren't in his grasp anymore.

"You deserve something a little special, Sakura-chan; happy seventeenth birthday. I know it isn't much, but it was the best I could do for you."

A ray of sunlight streamed upon the blonde, a sudden trail of warmth fluttering its' way up his spine, warming his skin, and tickling his hair, which swayed in time with the gentle, cool breeze of spring.

Fukasaku and Shima were standing alongside Gamabunta, whom was to be escorting Naruto from the burial site and on to find their goal; Sasuke Uchiha. Naruto smiled, for the first time in a long while, before he took standing stance, looking over at Kakashi's grave, as well as his other close friends and teachers; he would indefinitely miss them, that was for sure, but what he had to do now was more important than his own feelings, so with one last farewell, Naruto left the field, just as it began to weep for his absence, knowing that he may never grace it with his presence again.

That alone was enough to bring the rain down harder than before, the cries of screeching thunder the wails of the long departed, wishing him their own farewell.

* * *

Sasuke approached what he had assumed was the village; at least, from his memory, it had been where he was standing now.

But no, in its' place lay the hundreds of graves of whom he assumed to be the people of his homeland, the land of his birth; the luscious plants surrounding only suggested that the place had been well kept, looked after, in his absence, and he wondered absently who would have gone to so much trouble to keep a gravesite as beautiful as it was.

Wandering through the rows of headstones, he read each name and description, a few names ringing bells with him.

'_Rock Lee... Neji Hyuuga... Ino Yamanaka... Kakashi Hatake... Wait, __**what**__?' _

Turning his focus back to the grave, Sasuke noted that indeed what he had read was accurate and that it _was_ his former sensei; Kakashi Hatake, the renowned and feared _'Copycat Ninja of the Sharingan Eye'_ was dead, buried under six feet of solid earth, never to be seen again.

Something about that was off-putting, upsetting the Uchiha quite some; he had always been fond of Kakashi, seeing as he could relate to the feeling of having nothing left to love, all his family members perished as was his. So in most cases, he felt it was his duty to kneel down and think a few carefully picked words, silently acknowledging how much he had meant to him. 

_'I never would have thought __**you**__ of all people could be taken down, Kakashi... but knowing you, you would have fought with everything you had, and that's what makes you still an important person to me... Rest in peace, __**sensei**__.'_

Standing once more, he continued his sweep, the grave next to Kakashi's enough to freeze his blood and make his heart catch in his throat.

_'Sa...ku...ra...?'_

"Hey, Sasuke, what's up with you? Normally you would have been thrilled to all hell in knowing that your former village was obliterated; saves you the trouble of disposing of them and their pesky recruiting squads. Ne, Sasuke, earth to Sasuke! Nani? Nan desu ka?"

Suigetsu exclaimed in annoyance, not quite sure why Sasuke was acting so... strangely.

"Leave Sasuke-kun alone, baka! I'm sure he has his reasons— _**Sasuke-kun**_?"

Karin screeched as she watched him fall to his knees, atop Sakura's grave, the shock of it causing him to cave; it couldn't—it just wasn't—!

Clenching his fists, Sasuke raised the tightened palm, before slamming it down onto the luscious green grass, his hand connecting hard with the soil as he gazed sombrely at the sight he was graced with.

Sakura was… _dead_?

And there, atop the grave, was a withering cherry blossom branch, the scent still overpowering and lingering dangerously in the Uchiha's nostrils.

But there were so many fucking graves here… how could there possibly be any survivors if practically the entire village was buried six feet underground?

The evidence was all too clear though; the branch bore a clean cut from where Sasuke could see, which meant that someone had sliced it off of the blossoming tree looming just above him; but who—

Sasuke was on his feet faster than lightning, his body hastily manoeuvring through all the rows of graves, frantically searching for a single name, the one that would decide the raven haired Uchiha's fate, the very one that he had clung to in all of the years that he had been absent from his presence; _Uzumaki Naruto_.

The more he searched, the less likely the outcome of him being another of the casualties became, and the stronger his renewing hope grew to be, and he was finally reassured when he found that he had gone through each and every single grave pedantically, none of them bearing his name.

_Naruto was __**alive**_.

And he was going to find him, no matter what it took.

"Team Hebi, we're heading out. Karin, start searching for the traces of kyuubi chakra, and then we'll go from there."

* * *

Naruto had wandered tirelessly for minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, almost _years_, and yet there was still no trace of Sasuke, none at all.

It was almost as if he had dropped off the face of the planet, never to return again, or even make himself known, and this alone frustrated the blonde haired Jinchuuriki host more than anything else.

But he continued to persevere, knowing that with every step he took, there was the slightest of likelihoods that he was getting another step closer to locating and retrieving Sasuke as well; he was one step closer to fulfilling his promise of a lifetime to Sakura, and he wasn't going to back down now.

Naruto froze.

A cold, sharp blade was digging into his throat, ready to tear the supple flesh apart without a hint dropped.

And yet, Naruto could only stand there, completely calm, almost complacent as he simply remained as he was, standing impossibly still without even making the slightest attempts at moving.

Silence engulfed the clearing, the faint fluttering and rustling of leaves blowing listlessly with the wind almost soothing to the blonde as he awaited what was to be his death _("Honto gomen, Sakura-chan. But it looks like I won't be setting out after Sasuke anymore after this…"). _

"Uzumaki Naruto."

_That voice_… devoid of all humanity, free of emotion, subtle yet suave and smooth all the same, unruffled by the blonde's sudden submissiveness; _Uchiha Itachi_.

He had been wanting to find an Uchiha, yes, but why was Kami being so cruel as to send the very one that no one wanted to be stuck alone with in the stead of the one that he actually wanted to have by his side?

Naruto gulped heavily, suddenly afraid of departing the world, if it meant dying at the hands of the shinobi world's most wanted clan-killer; it never came.

The blade had lowered somewhat (still within striking range, of course), yet Itachi had made no other move to harm him in any way, shape or form.

Now what the hell was—?

Naruto's surprise was only heightened when the kunai knife was lowered away from his throat, and he honestly expected the blow to happen from behind, but again, he was left utterly dumbfounded; Itachi had not attacked him, had not _killed_ him.

Was that not his goal, his intention?

So then why was he offering such mercy _now_ of all times?

He spoke.

Voice dripping with barely concealed snippets of remorse and anguish.

"Uzumaki Naruto… so it seems you are just like me now… an orphan to a complete state of entirety, with no place left to call 'home', no village to return to… does it hurt? The loss of loved ones. Do you feel it? Can you comprehend my _suffering_, my _pain_? Do you feel what I felt? Does your heart ache terribly so whenever you picture their smiling faces in your mind's eye? Does it ache to remember their kind words of encouragement, their pride in your accomplishments, their _company_? _Do you miss them like I miss my family_?"

Naruto had turned then, shock written over his features; sure enough, there was Itachi, his apathetic mask long since replaced by one of heartbreak, eyes so expressive, so pained that Naruto would have caved simply by looking into their endless depths had he not grabbed the nearest tree trunk for support.

The blonde almost swore that he could see tears lining his long, black lashes—_'PLOP!'_

A single tear streaked down the other man's cheek, and Naruto knew.

He just… _knew_.

It was all a lie, Itachi's past, what he had done.

There was more to it than anyone had ever let on, or possibly knew about, and although Naruto couldn't decipher exactly what, he knew that right now wasn't the best of times to ask.

What he did know for certain was that this man was hurting just as badly, or even _more_ so, than he, and had been for _far_ too long.

And it was about time that there was also another that could relate to this pain, share it, and therefore help gain some solace from each person's story.

They sat alongside one another, gazing out at the setting sun, tears mixing with connected pain and grief, until soon they had both made that much needed step; they now had a connection, and now that the real reason behind Itachi's treachery had been revealed, Naruto was able to instantly squash the misplaced resentment, and replace it with that of something much more valuable.

Although it was still fragile, he had extended his hand of friendship to Itachi.

And he had taken it without a hint of hesitation.

* * *

It had taken so long to track down Sasuke, but with Itachi's superior kekkei genkai, it had taken less than half the time it would have taken Naruto to have located the younger Uchiha by himself; now he had even more of a reason to be thankful of the bond they now shared, with both of the brothers Uchiha.

But there was the problem of Sasuke completely and utterly _losing it_ when he laid eyes on his much despised elder sibling.

When Naruto had _finally_ been able to tear them away from one another, Sasuke was beyond livid, not caring if he injured the blonde any more than he did if it was one of his own teammates; but because this was Naruto he was contemplating on harming, he calmed his overanxious nerves long enough for the blonde to explain everything, in full detail as to what had transpired on the night of the Uchiha clan massacre.

And for the first time in many years, Sasuke shed tears, this time having Itachi closely remaining at his side, arms wrapped awkwardly yet protectively around him as he realised the error of his ways.

Now the brothers were reunited, all three of them, surely to remain that way for good.

* * *

_**(Play 'Nakama' here!)**_

_**

* * *

**_

Sasuke was dreaming.

But this time, it had to be one of the most pleasant yet.

He had seen his sensei, and they had reminisced comfortably without having the need to say much at all; actions spoke louder than words, didn't they?

And when he left, the gaping void in his heart had been somewhat mended, _filled_, and for once in his life he felt at ease.

Until he saw _her_.

Sakura stood at an arm's length from the moody Uchiha, timid yet strong in her resolve as she gazed up at him through long, pink eyelashes.

Those familiar green eyes, that annoyingly attractive rosette hair, that never ceasing bright smile, shy yet beautiful all the same; only now did he notice that she smiled differently for him, a smile that he could call his own.

And indeed it was.

They simply stood there, facing each other in complete silence before making their way to the very same stumps that she and Naruto had sat affront of all those months ago.

Sakura supplied most of the conversation, random as it was (filling him in on all of the gossip he had missed in Konoha, as well as that of the talk circulating around the heavens), whilst he listened quietly, nodding to show that he was indeed listening to everything she was saying (because indeed this was to be their last encounter, and he didn't want to miss a moment of it, of her words, her voice, the way her eyes sparkled and lit up with happiness and amusement whenever he became uncomfortable with her actions, of her smile, her scent, her gestures, all of it), which pleased her greatly.

But time was growing shorter with every moment wasted.

And they both knew this better than anyone else.

Sakura seemed a tad bit uncomfortable, but she had already made this declaration before, at an earlier stage in her life (and had meant it, no matter how immature and childish it may have seemed at the time to him), so she was able to force it out, her eyes drawn to her tentative hands before she raised them to meet his impossibly dark ones, Sakura almost being sucked in even though she was already no longer amongst the living, confidence exuding from her every pore and fibre as she said the words that he had been secretly—almost praying—dying to hear her say.

"I love you so much, Sasuke-kun. I always have, and I always will. So promise me, _promise me_ that once you have settled back into routine with Naruto and Itachi—and I hope you all _do_ stay together—that you will find some insanely gorgeous girl," He was about to protest, but she cut him off before he even voiced his argument, "That I _know_ you will find out there, and that you will rebuild that damned clan of yours, or I swear to Kami-sama I'm gonna come down there and beat you so bad that you won't be able to see for a _month_!"

She giggled at her lame attempt at a comforting wisecrack, but it only caused Sasuke's expression to morph into that of something in between horrified and torn, an expression she never for the life of her thought she would ever see, dead _or_ alive.

And to know that it was for _her_…

She felt tears prickle hotly behind her lids as she slowly stood, dusting herself off, intent on putting some distance between them so that she wouldn't collapse into a fit of tears (and most likely annoy the shit out of him by doing so), but he surprised her by tugging on her wrist, almost frantically, pivoting her on her heel so that she was facing him, said man now kneeling on the ground before her, grip unyielding as he gazed up at her with the eyes of a broken man.

That was enough for her.

Stepping toward him—knowing that she would come to regret this action at a later time if he came out hating her for it afterwards, which she was positive he would—Sakura cupped his cheeks in her hands, bending her upper body down towards his lowered stature so that she could place her lips softly against his, the first of her tears falling, only to be immediately wiped away by the calloused hands of Sasuke, his charcoal eyes hooded as he carefully, almost shyly, kissed her back, hands reaching up to tangle through her hair and caress her soft cheeks.

It seemed like an eternity later when they finally broke apart for the air that they knew they both needed, and with her lips still brushing lightly against Sasuke's, Sakura spoke, her bright green eyes staring solemnly into his as she uttered those same three words over and over again, like a mantra.

"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you. Please be happy, oh Kami, _please_ be happy. I love you so fucking much it _hurts_."

He simply silenced her with another chaste kiss, knowing that she was only now saying this as if everything depended on it because she was leaving him.

For good.

With her lips still pressed to his, Sakura whispered breathily, mouthing the words almost longingly, _"I love you, Sasuke-kun." _

And then she was gone, the warmth of her lips still remaining, and the cold tear that had fallen onto his cheek just as she dispersed from his life forever.

She was gone.

And not once had he said a damned fucking thing to her.

He woke up, and he cried for her loss.

* * *

_**(Play 'Natsuzora ~Opening Theme~' here!)**_

_**

* * *

**_

The three of them stood together, Sasuke's team keeping a respectable distance as they stood at the graves of the fallen, flowers gathered from the garden that Naruto had grown and managed for so many months now in full bloom and being cradled delicately in their arms; it had been one year since the Pain invasion.

One year since the Hidden Village of Konohagakure had perished.

One year since all of their loved ones—with the exception of Sasuke's and Itachi's family, whom had been gone for a solid nine now—had been stolen away from them.

No words were exchanged as they looked down upon each and every name, laying down flowers for all, until all that was left was the wreaths, and them.

They truly were the lost shinobi, whose requiems had been played out through their dreams, and had been mended by the hopes and aspirations that the future held for them.

They were connected by something far more transcendent than blood, and from this, their requiems had been extinguished by those of the dead, whom they had yet to fulfil all of their promises to.

Their journeys, as both Sakura and Kakashi had said, were only just beginning.

And as they threw the wreaths of flowers into the air, the winds picking them up and carrying them away, cherry blossom petals scattered around them, wrapping them in the comforting embrace that they had all been waiting for.

"Taidama… We're finally home."

* * *

_~Owarimashita~_

_

* * *

_

**a/n: Well, that sucked ass. **

**Ugh, I haven't touched this since what, January? **

**TEN MONTHS HOLY CRAP DUDE. DDX  
**

**I initially had an alternate ending, but since it has been too long, I was like fuck it, and threw together something completely random and nonsensical. **

**It failed, admittedly. **

**But then again, they always do.**

**Ugh. **

**Please review anyways, for this pathetic author has nothing left to live for… wait… Sasuke-kun… Sasuke-kun… Itachi-kun… hm, yeah, plenty of reason right there! XD  
**

**LOL. xD  
**

**Please, please, please, please, PLEASE REVIEW MINNA! **

**Or Sasuke-sama will be sad. D:  
**

**Until next time then.  
**

**Ja ne! x)  
**

***-Sasukeluva 4eva out-***

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